llow, broad of shoulder and well-looking
in his uniform of red with yellow facings; his round bullet-shaped head,
covered by the round steel cap, was suggestive of obstinacy, even of
determination.

He eyed the flushed and excited throng with some amusement not wholly
unmixed with contempt. Oh! he knew some of the faces well enough by
sight--for he had originally served in the train-bands of London, and
had oft seen my Lord Walterton, for instance, conspicuous at every
entertainment--now pronounced illicit by His Highness, and Sir Anthony
Bridport, a constant frequenter at Exeter House, and young Lord
Naythmire the son of the Judge. He also had certainly seen young Segrave
before this, whose father had been a member of the Long Parliament; the
only face that was totally strange to him was that of the youngster in
the dark suit of grogram, who stood somewhat aloof from the irate crowd,
and seemed to be viewing the scene with astonishment rather than with
alarm.

Lord Walterton, flushed with wine, more than with anger, constituted
himself the spokesman of the party:

"Who are you?" he asked somewhat unsteadily, "and what do you want?"

"My name is Gunning," replied the man curtly, "captain commanding His
Highness' police. What I want is that you gentlemen offer no resistance,
but come with me quietly to answer on the morrow before Judge Parry, a
charge of contravening the laws against betting and gambling."

A ribald and prolonged laugh greeted this brief announcement, and some
twenty pairs of gentlemanly shoulders were shrugged in token of
derision.

"Hark at the man!" quoth Sir James Overbury lightly, "methinks,
gentlemen, that our wisest course would be to put up our swords and to
throw the fellows downstairs, what say you?"

"Aye! aye!" came in cheerful accents from the defiant little group.

"Out with you fellow, we've no time to waste in bandying words with ye
..." said Walterton, with the tone of one accustomed to see the churl
ever cringe before the lord, "and let one of thy myrmidons touch a thing
in this room if he dare!"

The young cavalier was standing somewhat in advance of his friends,
having stepped forward in order to emphasize the peremptoriness of his
words. The women were still in the background well protected by a
phalanx of resolute defenders who, encouraged by the captain's silence
and Walterton's haughty attitude, were prepared to force the patrol of
police to beat a hasty retreat.

End